Why People Stop Using Email The problem for most people is they have not learned how to manage their email, or if they do know how to manage their email, they do not practice those management methods on a daily basis. And like anything else, if you are not managing it, it soon descends into an unmanageable mess. Yet, email should never be seen in this way. Email is simply the best communications technology created in the last forty years or so....

The Pratfall Effect Inadvertent, clumsy mistakes make people more likable. An experiment conducted by psychologist Elliot Aronson proved this to be true. For his study, a group of people took a quiz. He recorded their answers but also made a record of some participants knocking over a cup of coffee. These clumsy quiz participants were deemed more likable by the listeners of the tapes. Why? Because their mistakes made them more human....

That as long as there are 20-somethings who take their time going through the milestones of “adulthood”, there will be 50-somethings worrying and complaining about it. Unfortunately, it seems Generation Y is a popular target for criticism, often times voiced as concern and even curiosity these days. But if we think back to the children of the ‘60s and ‘70s, we should also think of how they were also criticized....

Refurbishing your home can also include a range of smaller and simpler tasks, however, such as redecorating your child’s or bedroom or simply infusing it with additional color or character. This can be achieved in an incredibly fun and cost-effective manner, while also crating a unique environment for your children to inhabit. Consider the following steps towards achieving this: 1. Let your Children Decorate their Own Rooms The quickest, easiest and, most certainly, the cheapest way of brightening up your child’s room is to get them to do it themselves!...

It’s time to give yourself some credit that you deserve instead of demanding it from others. So sit back and relax: you are accused and guilty. It’s conviction time! 1. Their beauty. You are the fairer sex. Trust me it is not easy to look so lovely each day when you wake up in the morning or by the end of the night. But whatever you do, you do it best!...

Care and Handling of your CDs and DVDs – [via del.icio.us]

I must admit, however, that it’s not all justified. When you begin devoting some energy to writing in a notebook, particularly organizing or making a daily todo list, you become more addicted to it. The second you have a new idea or another task, out comes the book. Utilware.com discusses this in a little more detail while developing a simple task action system called GSD [as opposed to GTD, getting things done]....

England may have found a new way to remain healthy. According to a study done by Exeter University, farting, the process of releasing gas from the body, is actually healthy. All the times you were worried that people might laugh if you audibly farted? Well, believe it or not, they should be thanking you — not laughing at the sound or cringing at the smell. Everybody farts. Whether in private, outside in nature, or surrounded by friends (or complete strangers), the pressure that is built inside from the quivering stomach muscle is released into the world....

For example, throw away most meat after a week or so (unless you freeze it, in which case it could last for months). Eggs typically last about a month, while egg salad lasts only a few days. And what about foods that offer a sell-by date, but not a use-by? Milk is one such product, and it should last about a week after the label printed on the carton. Did the video leave out a key food for you?...

Students Are Also Your Best Teachers We heard of teachers who are ever so inspiring, giving up so much in order to help their students achieve great things in life. Once such movie about teachers is Freedom Writers, a story based on Woodrow Wilson Classical High School in Long Beach, California, and their English teacher, Erin Gruwell. This movie is about a teacher inspiring change through her own actions, motivating and bringing good influence into the lives of students....

But I’ve come up with something that might placate a few nay-sayers. First, if you don’t “get” Twitter, I don’t want to convince you otherwise. The trick is not to read every message that goes by, but to use the whole thing as a mass of information, and pluck out what’s important. But if that’s too inefficient, I’ve a hack in mind. Sure, Twitter can absorb a lot of your time, but what if you could “tune” Twitter to something of importance to you?...

Why not? Because for writers like me, and for many others, all the software and storage space you really need is now online. All that matters is that you have your browser — and at the risk of sparking another flame war, I recommend Firefox. Need a word processor, spreadsheet, photo program, or really most anything useful? Old-fashioned desktop applications aren’t necessary anymore, for the most part. You can fire up your browser on any computer, and given a decent internet connection, you’ve got your entire OS and hard drive right there, from anywhere you log in....

Power Strip– As a geek/business traveler, I’m often surprised that hotel rooms aren’t tricked out with 100 free plugs for me to stuff my gadgets into for a charge. I think this PowerSquid Surge Suppressor is cool, because if your chargers have bulky ends like mine, this fixes that issue. Quart-sized Plastic Zip Bags– I use these for a lot of things. I keep one for my expense receipts. I use another to store extra business cards....

Check Your Gaskets Don’t worry. It’s not difficult. Simply open the doors and inspect the rubber gaskets lining the door frame. If there is a problem with the doors freezing shut, chances are it’s because there are cracks or cuts in the door gaskets. They’re pretty easy to replace yourself and not expensive to have replaced by a pro. If the doors are freezing shut, they could be worth replacing. Not only will you get into your ride easier, but you’ll also prevent accidental damage to your door handle....

A phobia is defined as “a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity or situation that leads to a compelling desire to avoid it.” There are phobias of just about everything. This includes Arachnophobia (fear of spiders) and Claustrophobia (fear of small spaces) and there’s a good chance you know someone who isn’t keen at least one of these. The Fear of Flying Another fear which millions of people suffer from across the globe is the fear of flying....

1. Sugar The idea that eating too much sugar is bad for you isn’t anything new, but eating a lot of sugar over an extended period of time causes neurological problems. High consumption of sugar affects your memory and your ability to learn. Also, too much sugar in your blood slows down your brain cells’ use of insulin to break down sugar to aid in processing thoughts and emotions, leading to a decrease in brain activity....

Free Personal Development Toolkit – [Life Tools] We can even choose to respond positively to fearful situations. We cannot escape fear, but we can transform it into our companion. Read ‘The Truths about Fear’ for more information on this. If you respond positively on a regular basis it will result in you becoming more effective and in control. Being firmer about how you respond allows you to base your decisions on your values and principles, which will give you strength and integrity....

Accidental Exposures Back in the ‘old days’ cameras used to have accidents that caused multiple exposures creating photos which we could now consider to be artistic. Nowadays, it’s difficult to reproduce this type of photo without using photo editing software. Digital cameras do not expose the same piece of film twice, it saves a new file each time making it hard to create deliberate or accidental exposures. Fusioncam Now, more and more people have a phone with a camera with apps that opens the door to a whole variety of tricks and tips....

Recently I’ve had a conversation with an older guy who owns a pawn shop. He started to complain about business not doing well, how he lacks ideas and the drive, how he’s demoralized and overwhelmed by the technology advancement. “We can’t adapt so quickly to the new stuff like you youngsters. We’re slowly being discarded,” he told me while trying to persuade me to buy a used Mac, which he couldn’t use and understand well....

Giving an Academic Talk – [Jonathan Shewchuk] Sometimes silence is particularly articulate. One of the best (and most underused) speaking techniques I know is to leave a long pause right after making a key point. Let it sink in. It’s important to give yourself permission to take as long as you like to think of what to say next. There’s no hurry, no need to fill the spaces with sound....